To obtain percutaneous access to a patient's vasculature, a hollow needle may be inserted through a patient's skin and into a blood vessel. A guide wire may be passed through the needle lumen into the blood vessel, whereupon the needle may be removed. An introducer sheath may then be advanced over the guide wire into the vessel in conjunction with or subsequent to one or more dilators. A catheter or other device may be advanced through the introducer sheath and over the guide wire into a position for performing a medical procedure. Upon completing the procedure, the device(s) and introducer sheath may be removed, leaving a puncture extending between the skin and the vessel wall. To seal the puncture, external pressure may be applied to the overlying tissue, e.g., manually and/or using sandbags, until hemostasis occurs.
After completion of a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure requiring access to the vasculature (e.g., imaging procedure, angioplasty, stent delivery, or otherwise), the arteriotomy can be closed by various mechanical or biological solutions, such as by applying external pressure, cinching, suturing, and/or delivering metal implants, plugs, or sealants. However, many of these closure procedures may be time consuming, expensive, and uncomfortable for the patient, requiring the patient to remain immobilized in the operating room, catheter lab, or holding area for long periods of time. Additionally, some of these prolonged closure procedures may increase the risk of hematoma from bleeding prior to hemostasis.
Some closure procedures may require a sheath exchange between the introducer sheath used during the diagnostic or therapeutic procedure and a sheath that is compatible with the closure system. This additional step may be time consuming and increases the risk of vessel injury and infection. Accordingly, there is still a need for a closure method that eliminates the sheath exchange step. The present disclosure is directed toward a closure system that is compatible with a standard procedural sheath and integrates the standard procedural sheath into a sealant delivery method.